Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The Nikko Station belongs to the JR Nikko Line and it is located at Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture, which is famous as a city of international tourism.
This station opened in 1890, and has a daily ridership of 876 people in 2009.
I took the movie of station and train at the JR Nikko station next to rival Tobu Nikko Station opened in 1929.
This elegant station building like white Western-style mansion is the Nikko Station on the JR Nikko Line.
This wooden building was completed in 1912 and will have been 100 years old in 2012.
As you see, there are few people in front of the station because of rainy low season.
Illuminated station building at night would be eerie if no one is here.
I entered at the front of the station on which gas-lamp-shaped lightings are equipped.
On the ceiling of the front, a dragon is painted in tribute to the "Crying Dragon" in the Nikko Toshogu Shrine. I tried to clap my hands and play resonance but failed.
There are some modern facilities like automatic ticket gate, but whole station inside is painted with retro look.
The second floor was a waiting room for first-class car passengers.
The vending machines on the east of station was also painted with brown.
Since here is a historic tourism station, the waiting room is large.
The waiting room has a relaxed air during no trains like local stations.
The station has large capacity for passengers. When here was the only entrance of Nikko, many tourists might use here.
The station name board is retro-looking.
There are a large number of tracks but tracks used now are the nearest one and opposite one. Furthermore, there is only one train a day, which uses the opposite one.
While trains are here, the station bustles with activity.
Since March 2009, ratro-looking trains have been running in commemoration of the 120 anniversary of the Nikko Line.
The imperial suite is opened to the public on rare occasions. There are imported electric stoves and marble fireplace, which The Emperor Taisho(1879-1926) and Showa(1901-1989) loved, in the suite.
This is an entrance gate for party, but it has been rarely used recently.
After the 4-car local train disappeared in the fog, quiet hour of the Nikko Station starts.
As previously explained, the Tobu-Nikko Station, the rival of JR Nikko Station, is located at the west for 300 meters of the JR Nikko Station and it takes about 5 minutes on foot.
I tried walking to the Tobu-Nikko Station to compare the quiet JR Nikko Station.
The lodge-shaped station building and active front of the Tobu-Nikko Station is contrasting view to the JR Nikko Station.
There are many tourists and sightseeing buses on the large station square, and I can see hotel employees to receive guests.
The inside of Tobu-Nikko Station is modernistic.
As the base of tourism around Nikko, there are many facilities like tourist center, tourist bureau, kiosk, car rental office and so on.
There are 5 platforms spreading out in a fan-like form, and 3 to 5 trains per hour including limited express depart from here.
On the other hand, 1 to 2 local trains per hour depart from the 2 platforms of JR Nikko Station.
The station building, vibrancy of station front, the number of passengers .... anything and everything is contrasting. This is the today's view between loser (JR, former Japan National Railway) and winner (Tobu) of competition for tourist in Nikko.